Wounded Air Force members from across the country are at Offutt Air Force Base this week.

They are attending a special camp at the base aimed at recovery.

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For many of the 120 plus Wounded Warriors that are taking part, these are first time experiences, but ones they hope can help with the healing process.

As the opening ceremonies of the Wounded Warrior Care event began, dozens of critically injured or recovering Air Force members from across the country listened to the national anthem -- perhaps unsure of why they decided to come.

“I was really anxious, I didn't want to be here,” said retired Air Force engineer Kelly Patterson, who is recovering from a traumatic combat incident that has left life-changing physical and emotional scars.

“It felt like everything that I enjoyed was gone. I'm a private pilot, I couldn't fly,” she says.

Marsha Gonzales, with the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, says servicemembers like Kelly are exactly who they want to help.

“So now we're going to introduce them to what they can do, we’re going to give them a new purpose, we're going to surround them with a support system that's going to facilitate restoring wellness and function into their life,” Gonzales said.

The four-day event will offer education to warriors and their caregivers about resources.

It will also push them out of their comfort zone with adaptive sports, bringing out newfound confidence and emotion.

For Patterson, her experience trying basketball Monday has helped change how she feels about wheelchairs.

“You're cruising down the court and I can't articulate the freedom that I feel,” she says.

And as the warriors try swimming, archery, and other activities, they're finding something beyond a new past time.

“You have a new family, the same camaraderie you had in the military,” Patterson says.

Closing ceremonies will be Thursday evening after a full day of competitive play.

Wounded warrior care events are fairly new -- the first was last summer. The program is federally funded.